George Lucas

George Lucas is one of the American film industry's most independent, financially successful directors and producers. In 1973, he formed his own company, Lucasfilm Ltd, where he wrote and directed the movie, American Graffiti, which won the Golden Globe and garnered five Academy Award nominations. His next venture was the hugely successful Star Wars films which broke all box office records and earned seven Academy Awards. Lucas also collaborated with Steven Spielberg to create the Indiana Jones series which made box office records of their own. In 1992, he received the Irving G. Thalberg Award from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in recognition of his lifetime achievement in the film industry. Today, Lucas is spearheading digital cinematography for movies and has been partially responsible for developing the new modern sound systems found in many movie theaters called the THX System.